You Can't Always Keep Your Loved Ones Close
by EssieScrawls
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are in a bridal store with their daughter Avalon. Arthur isn't cooperative since he thinks his little girl is growing up too fast. Will they find the dress, or will Arthur make sure this appointment will end in a big failure? ONE SHOT (but could be seen as an extension of the story Keep The Ones You Love Close)


**This is going to be just a little one-shot 2000 something words type of thing, but I couldn't resist!**

**One of my guilty pleasures is watching the show Say Yes To The Dress. For the people who don't know what it's about, it's basically brides searching for a wedding dress at a store called Kleinfeld and when they find _their_ dress, the consultant asks them; "So are you going to say yes to this dress?"**

**Anyways, I saw an episode about brides who bring their father to their appointment and there was this one rough tough guy who in the end bawled his eyes out because of how pretty his little girl looked. It just made me wanna do something similar with Arthur.**

**This can be seen as an extension of 'Keep The One You Love Close' but can also be seen as a stand-alone. You don't have to know the specifics of the _K.T.O.Y.L.C._ story to understand, I just borrowed the same names because I like them. The only thing you need to know is that Merlin and Arthur are married and have a daughter named Avalon.**

**I don't have a specific actress in mind (look wise) for Avalon, so perhaps a mix between Candice Accola (TVD) and Dianna Agron (Glee)? I wanted Avalon have that 'innocent' look over her haha. But hey, if anyone has a better actress in mind, don't be afraid to mention ;)**

**_Mention of past mpreg._  
**

* * *

Avalon sat with her parents on the sofa in the bridal store, waiting for their consultant to arrive.

They flew in with their private jet, because Merlin and Arthur –even though the latter one was still not hundred per cent on board about the fact that his baby girl was getting married- would want to have the best for their daughter and according to people this was as good as it could get. So without hesitation they flew over to the States and well here they are.

While Merlin and his daughter were excitedly going through the pictures Avalon had collected of dresses and styles she liked, Arthur sat arms crossed on the sofa, a deep scowl evident on his face. Everything these days was about the upcoming wedding, even his men (who meant to be rough and tough) melted into a gooey puddle whenever Avalon came to them with her so called wedding book that held everything from invitations samples to centrepieces and table runners and all other kinds of words that he wasn't supposed to even know.

But Arthur could care less about all of that, because it wasn't so much the marriage that made him be against the wedding, it was because he started to realize that his baby girl was grown up and would leave their home now and he wasn't quite ready for that.

Merlin turned to his husband and shook his head, tutting. "Arthur if you're going to be like this, I'd rather have it that you leave. This is one of our daughter's most important moments in her life and she wants you to be here to help her make the right decision. You know how much she values your opinion."

"Well my opinion obviously does little to her concerning this. She's still going to marry this Daniel." Arthur moped, crossing and uncrossing his arms.

Merlin looked at him with a deeper glare. "They've been together for nine years. She's twenty-five years old now, it's time to let your little girl go."

"Says who?" Arthur muttered.

"Arthur I'm warning you, you're going to be acting remotely normal for the rest of this appointment. You've accepted Daniel's request for Ava's hand in marriage, and now you're going to keep it."

"Yeah because you threatened to have no sex again." Arthur muttered under his breath, inaudible to Merlin who had turned back to his daughter who had asked for his opinion about one particular dress.

Their attention was turned to the girl who approached the sofa. She was probably around the same age as Avalon and extended her arm to the bride to be first. "I'm Gwen, I'll be your consultant for today."

"I'm Ava." Avalon said as she shook hands with the brightly smiling girl.

"And who did you brought with you today?" Gwen asked as she turned to Merlin first and going through the same routine of extending her arm and smiling.

"My dads." Ava pointed to Merlin first and then to Arthur. "Just call him dad one and him dad two to make it easier."

Merlin chuckled, he and his daughter had been pre-planning this to see Arthur's reaction. They didn't had to wait long as Arthur sat up straighter, his mouth shaped like a big O.

"Why is the dad one!" Arthur pointed at Merlin.

"I've carried her you prat, I have the right."

It weren't many occasions that gang lord Arthur Pendragon was not in absolute control of everything, but whenever there was a family occasion it would happen at least once. "But… but, I."

Ava shook her head to the consultant with a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I'm sorry, we just like to mess with him. No, this is my dad Merlin." She touched Merlin's upper arm and then leaned over him to touch Arthur's leg. "And this is my father Arthur."

"Excellent." Gwen said as she shook hands with both men. " So Ava, what kind of dress do you see yourself in?"

She looked at her dad for a moment who gave her an encouraging nod. "I like a sweetheart neckline, strapless, maybe some bling, something sexy and formfitting, but at the same time I want also something romantic. I'm not sure about what sort of style yet."

Arthur made disapproving faces.

Gwen nodded, taking mental notes of the requirements before she drew her attention to Merlin. "And you sir, what would you like to see your daughter getting married in?"

Merlin grabbed Avalon's arm and smiled at her. He looked back up to the consultant. "I don't mind. Whatever she feels most comfortable in."

Gwen nodded again and turned to the last person on the sofa. "And do you have anything in particular you would like to see her in?"

"Well." Arthur said, leaning forward. "A high neckline, turtle neck if possible. Erm, sleeves, a big _big_ ball gown, nothing revealing…" He stopped when he got a hard poke in his leg from husband who glared at him and disappointedly shook his head. "_What_!"

Gwen sniffled softly. "I see that father's not that happy to see his little girl getting married."

Avalon leaned forward to the consultant and whispered, "You have _no_ idea."

"So what about the budget. What price point will you be feeling comfortable with?" Gwen asked.

"Well my dads are paying, but I'd like to stay under ten-thousand."

"That's just some guideline." Merlin budged in. "Budget isn't important if she has a dress she really likes." Arthur had enough money, he would just pay whatever the dress to be might cost.

"Well I'm sure we will find the right dress in that price point. If you like to follow me then we can try some on." Gwen extended her arm towards the dressing room area and Ava followed her.

In the dressing room, Ava sat down on one of the chairs and Gwen the chair opposite of her. She crossed her legs and smiled again. "So tell me, what is your fiancé's name and how did you two meet?"

Avalon started telling about how she met Daniel at sixteen at school when they were in the same group in a class project and that the sparks flew from that moment and that even through college they kept dating and how Daniel proposed on her father's private island… which Merlin had arranged together with Daniel. Arthur wasn't really involved, He was too busy with moping and sulking around.

"And where is the wedding taking place?"

"A castle, beautiful surrounding, could be out one of those fairy tales."

She didn't told anything about her father's actual occupation, but just told the consultant that Arthur was an entrepreneur.

People usually didn't respond well and _she_ even needed some time to adjust after learning at age eighteen that her father was in the criminal underbelly, but she loved her father far too much to hold a grudge and besides, he had promised her he would quit sooner or later.

She told both her dads that Daniel needed to know and they gave permission under the strict condition that he wouldn't tell anyone… ever.

So, before she would even accept his proposal, Avalon told Daniel about her father's occupation and in turn, Daniel took it surprisingly well. He told Avalon that he had his suspicions, especially after the gun incidents where Arthur would just show up just when they were about to kiss, but he also told her that he loved her far too much to let that come between them and that he would never be able to let her go, and that, well, family in-laws were usually a bit whacky.

She had thrown her hands around his neck and kissed him deeply on the lips and said wholeheartedly yes.

She sighed lovingly at the memory and Gwen chuckled lightly before standing up. "Give me a few minutes to pull some dresses. I'll be right back."

About ten minutes later there was a short knock on the door before Gwen entered again with a handful of dresses she put on the rail. She puffed them out a bit and stepped back. "I've got some different shapes to see which is best for you. And I've pulled a ball gown with sleeves and almost closed to the neck to show your father and let him see with his own eyes that this kind of gown is _not_ for you."

Avalon nodded.

"So, which would you like to try on first?" Gwen asked.

Avalon pointed to a formfitting lace and satin gown with a sash at the waist and proceeded to put it on.

**~oOoOo~**

Ava came out in the dress and walked up to the main area where her parents were sitting. She was nervous, but giddy at the same time, she couldn't wait to show her parents the dress she wore right now. It was perfect in her eyes, and she knew her dad would agree with her, but the real trouble was to convince her father that it was so. She stepped in to the small area between the mirror and the couch her dads were sitting on and took her place on the small pedestal.

Gwen started to lift the small train and gently fanning it out onto the ground and then came to Ava's side. "Tell your parents what you've told me in the dressing room." She said gently.

Ava breathed deeply in. "I… I love it. I think it's perfect. It fits perfectly at the setting and the material feels so amazing. It's simple yet extraordinary and I – I think this one is _the_ one." She started to slightly tear up and Gwen handed her a tissue and walked away for a minute.

Merlin stood up from the couch and walked up to his daughter. He placed his arm around her tiny waist. "It's beautiful. Truly. You look amazing." Ava bent down and was kissed by her father, she embraced him tightly. Just when she released him, Gwen came back with a cathedral veil

Gwen proceeded to put the long veil on and it just completed the whole look. Merlin excitedly started to bounce on his feet, knowing that his was _the_ dress and he waited anxiously for Avalon's final answer. But of course there was also Arthur's opinion that needed to be taken in consideration, and he found it strange that Arthur hadn't given his opinion yet. In fact he hadn't said a word since Avalon came out.

Slowly Merlin turned around to look at Arthur and to see Arthur's expression, he thought for sure that his husband would have the biggest scowl on his face because their daughter was wearing such a formfitting dress, but he was in for a surprise. Merlin took a double look before finally asking,

"Arthur… are you crying?"

**THE END**

* * *

There were _soooooo_ many dresses I could choose from, but in the end I chose for the: **_Britannia_** by **_Maggie Sottero_**. I just love love love 'Maggie dresses' (especially the **_Ambrosia_** one in the colour _Alabaster_!) but if you have a better dress in mind, then of course imagine Ava wearing that one ;)


End file.
